Many vehicle manufacturers provide nowadays their manufactured vehicles with a built-in media center, which includes, inter-alia, a touch screen. Such touch screen is typically installed in the dashboard of the vehicle, so as to allow the driver and the passenger seated next to the driver to operate the media center by inputting operation commands using the touch screen.
Typically media centers offer the driver and the passengers of the vehicle information and entertainment (often called in short “infotainment”). This may include presenting various driving and/or vehicle parameters, such as the pressure status of the tires, gear status, etc., providing video (e.g. presenting rear camera view upon shifting the gear to reverse the vehicle), displaying navigational information, such as a map with navigational indications, etc.
Various arrangements were introduced to allow connectivity between a mobile phone and the media center of a vehicle, and in particular connectivity between a mobile phone and the screen of such a media center.
For example, US patent application publication No. 2008/133084 (Weinmann et al.), disclosed a communication system of a motor vehicle that includes a vehicle operating unit, a vehicle output unit, and an interface computer. The interface computer is connected to the vehicle operating unit and the vehicle output unit. The interface computer is implemented for the purpose of connecting a mobile terminal to the vehicle operating unit and the vehicle output unit such that information from the mobile terminal is displayable on the vehicle output unit and the mobile terminal is operable via the vehicle operating unit.
In International Patent Publication WO/2012/138201 (Lim et al.), there was disclosed a connection device for applying functions of a mobile phone to a vehicle, which embodies a connection configuration for interconnecting a mobile device and an audio-video (A/V) system of the vehicle such that the functions of the mobile device, such as image output, hands-free communication, the camera, and navigation (GPS) can be interlinked to the A/V system of the vehicle, a driver may easily operate each function of the mobile phone using a vehicle monitor, and functions of the camera, navigation and the like may be performed by the mobile phone even when such functions are not installed in the vehicle. To this end, a connection device for applying the functions of a mobile phone to a vehicle involves interconnecting the mobile phone and an A/V device of the vehicle so as to relay content to one another, operate the functions of the mobile phone in the vehicle, and enable the content being displayed on the mobile phone to be displayed on a monitor installed in the vehicle. The connection device includes a cradle in which the mobile phone having a touch-switching function is placed; an electromagnetic-wave touch module, which is arranged within the cradle in which the mobile phone is placed, such that the electromagnetic-wave touch module faces the touch-switching display of the mobile phone, wherein the electromagnetic-wave touch module converts, upon the occurrence of a touch signal on the monitor installed in the vehicle, a value of touch coordinates of the monitor of the vehicle to the value of touch coordinates corresponding to the size of the display of the mobile phone, and emits electromagnetic waves to the corresponding point on the display of the mobile phone placed in the cradle so as to perform the touch-switching function of the mobile phone; and a data-processing unit electrically connected to the mobile phone and to the A/V device of the vehicle so as to convert, when the switching function is performed in the mobile phone placed in the cradle by the electromagnetic-wave touch module, the drive data to be processed in the mobile phone into data that can be processed in the A/V device of the vehicle, and output the converted data to check a state of operating and driving the mobile phone via the monitor of the vehicle.
In UK patent application, published as GB2492789 (to Denso Corp. of Japan) a display duplication apparatus for a vehicle was disclosed, such that regions of a display of a mobile device may be replicated to one or more display of a vehicle. The apparatus includes an input connected to receive a display signal from a portable device (e.g. a mobile phone, smart phone or PDA) and a first display configured to display an invitation for input to define a selected interface region from a display output of the portable device. The first display is further configured to display an invitation for input to define a target display location of the vehicle and the apparatus can further include a number of displays, configured to display a selected interface region at a defined target display location of the vehicle. Regions of the portable device's display may be selected by touch (defining the region), though a template, by cursor control or by voice control. A target display such as a head-up display may then be selected.
French patent application published as FR2953950 (El Khoury) there was disclosed a touch screen for use in motor vehicle to control e.g. navigational function. The screen has a touch surface for displaying data and for inputting commands by a user. An interface having a Bluetooth 3.0 type wireless connection connects the screen to a mobile phone. A processing unit transfers the commands that are input on the surface to the mobile phone for controlling the mobile phone. The processing unit displays the data displayed by the mobile phone, on the touch surface. An audio output connects the screen to an audio device of a motor vehicle.
In KR20100070092 there was disclosed a method for driving a mobile telecommunication device using a navigation apparatus to use a mobile telecommunication device conveniently in various ways by using a monitor of a heterogeneous device as an input unit. Data for the cell coordinates of a navigation touch screen is matched with the cell coordinates of a mobile phone touch screen. When the touch input happens on a navigation touch screen, the cell coordinates of the touched point is transmitted to a cellular phone through an input/output interface. The received cell coordinate is recognized as the cell coordinates of the mobile phone touch screen and is displayed through the navigation monitor.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,482,535 (Pryor) discloses methods and apparatus particularly suited for applications in a vehicle, to provide a wide range of information, and the safe input of data to a computer controlling the vehicle subsystems or “Telematic” communication using for example GM's “ONSTAR” or cellular based data sources. Preferred embodiments utilize new programmable forms of tactile touch screens and displays employing tactile physical selection or adjustment means which utilize direct optical data input. A revolutionary form of dashboard or instrument panel results which is stylistically attractive, lower in cost, customizable by the user, programmable in both the tactile and visual sense, and with the potential of enhancing interior safety and vehicle operation. Non-automotive applications of the invention are also disclosed, for example means for general computer input using touch screens and home automation systems.
An object, according to embodiments of the present invention, is to provide such connectivity between a mobile communication device, and in particular a smartphone, to a touch screen (e.g. of a media center) of a vehicle, so as to present on the touch screen of the vehicle a video showing a current screen of the smartphone, similar to the screen shown on the display of the smartphone, and to allow full operation of the smartphone by inputting touch commands on the touch screen of the vehicle.
Further objects and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent after reading the present specification and considering the accompanying drawings.